S. Korea Sets Date for Next Rocket Launch Attempt

Below:

Next story in Space

PARIS — South Korea's KSLV-1, or Naro, rocket will make its third
attempt to reach orbit in a launch scheduled between Jan. 30 and
Feb. 8, Korea's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
said Jan. 16.

The vehicle, with a Russian-built first stage and a Korean second
stage, failed in its
first two launch attempts in 2009 and 2010, and the most
recent launch attempt has been delayed since October because of
two unrelated issues.

The failure of a hydraulic motor governing the second-stage
engine's thrust vector control was the reason for the latest
delay. The ministry said in a Jan. 16 statement that the suspect
part has been replaced. The
October launch had been canceled because of a leak in the
first stage's helium pressurization unit.

Moscow-based Khrunichev State Research and Production Space
Center has provided the rocket's first stage and its RD-151
engine, which is a modified, less-powerful version of one of the
engines Khrunichev plans to use for Russia's Angara rocket, now
in development.

The ministry said the Korean government, through the Korea
Aerospace Research Institute, has invested 529 billion Korean won
($479 million) into the Naro vehicle since development began, out
of a total allocation of more than 1.5 trillion won dedicated to
the vehicle through 2021.

A Korean government research satellite, the 100-kilogram
STSAT-2C, is the intended passenger on the launch.

This story was provided bySpace News, dedicated to
covering all aspects of the space industry.